HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Nelson County, Virginia (FY 2026)
$1,824 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Nelson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Nelson is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,824
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,642 to $2,006
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Virginia
18th of 133
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Nelson moves to $1,642. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Nelson actually rent for?
Search any address in Nelson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,421 | $1,279 to $1,563 | $56,840 | $27.33/hr | +1.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,602 | $1,442 to $1,762 | $64,080 | $30.81/hr | +7.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,824 | $1,642 to $2,006 | $72,960 | $35.08/hr | +5.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,218 | $1,996 to $2,440 | $88,720 | $42.65/hr | +2.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,731 | $2,458 to $3,004 | $109,240 | $52.52/hr | +4.2% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $3,141 | $2,827 to $3,455 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,550 | $3,195 to $3,905 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,960 | $3,564 to $4,356 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,370 | $3,933 to $4,807 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Nelson, that runs from $1,421 for a studio up to $2,731 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Nelson in with 4 other counties in the Charlottesville metro, Albemarle County, Charlottesville city, Fluvanna County among them, and every one of them gets $1,824 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Nelson ranks 18th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 45% above the state median of $1,254 and about 79% above the national median county at $1,018. About 14,773 people live here, 100th in the state.
Counties sharing the Charlottesville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 14 ZIP codes it covers in Nelson, the two-bedroom rate is $1,560 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22920 | Afton | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22922 | Arrington | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22938 | Faber | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22949 | Lovingston | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22958 | Nellysford | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22964 | Piney River | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22967 | Roseland | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22969 | Schuyler | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22971 | Shipman | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 22976 | Tyro | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 24464 | Montebello | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 24553 | Gladstone | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 24581 | Norwood | $1,560 | -14.5% |
| 24599 | Wingina | $1,560 | -14.5% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Nelson somewhere between $1,642 and $2,006. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,824 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $72,960 a year. Put another way, $35 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,642) | HAP at 100% ($1,824) | HAP at 110% ($2,006) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $892 | $1,074 | $1,256 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $442 | $624 | $806 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,729) to FY 2026 ($1,824). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.3% a year. The Virginia median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $854 | $1,082 | $1,262 | $1,573 | $1,942 | — |
| FY 2021 | $949 | $1,077 | $1,266 | $1,575 | $1,965 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $1,024 | $1,063 | $1,264 | $1,562 | $1,959 | -0.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,165 | $1,172 | $1,401 | $1,742 | $2,159 | +10.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,392 | $1,415 | $1,678 | $2,114 | $2,608 | +19.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,404 | $1,487 | $1,729 | $2,155 | $2,621 | +3.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,421 | $1,602 | $1,824 | $2,218 | $2,731 | +5.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,279 | $1,442 | $1,642 | $1,997 | $2,458 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Amherst County
$1,18719 mi · pop 31,426
Waynesboro city
$1,26121 mi · pop 22,341
Albemarle County
$1,82423 mi · pop 112,513
Buena Vista city
$1,00526 mi · pop 6,639
Rockbridge County
$1,00527 mi · pop 22,673
Buckingham County
$95928 mi · pop 16,869
Charlottesville city
$1,82428 mi · pop 46,289
Staunton city
$1,26128 mi · pop 25,581
Questions people ask
$1,824 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,421 for a studio, $1,602 for one bedroom, $2,218 for three and $2,731 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Nelson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Nelson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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